Saturday, April 16, 2011

Honey Baked Figs

It's been a dreadful week for my internet connection so this post and the recipe will be short and sweet to take full advantage of the current uptime I'm experiencing.

I've quartered these figs and baked them in simple honey and slivered almond syrup until the figs are just on the verge of collapse - if you like you can add spices like cinnamon and even orange zest but as I'm using Christmas Bush honey I don't really want to mask its flavour with other ingredients.

Honey Baked Figs and Almonds on French Toast

Fresh figs, quartered
honey
slivered almonds
butter

French Toast
4 thick slices of Brioche
2 eggs
½ cup cream
icing sugar

Prepare the French toast:
I've used brioche to add an extra bit of luxury to the dish. It's a small loaf and the mix is enough for four slices.

Whisk the egg and cream together with a teaspoon of icing sugar. Lay the slices of brioche in a flat plate that is just large enough to hold them - pour over with the egg mixture. Turn the slices over a few times, making sure they are well coated and then leave in a cool spot so that they can soak up all the remaining egg.

Prepare the figs:
For two people I've used 3 figs.

Heat an ovenproof-skillet over a medium-low heat - add in a knob of butter and a generous tablespoon of honey and stir until it starts to melt. Sprinkle in some slivered almonds and gently simmer for a few minutes before adding in the quartered figs. Toss the figs through the honey syrup so they are nice and glossy before arranging them in one layer, skin side down. Place in a preheated 180°C oven and bake for about 5 minutes or until they just start to collapse. You could do this on the stove top but you'd need to a little more vigilant to ensure they don't catch on the bottom of the pan.

While the figs are in the oven, you can now finish cooking the french toast - a non-stick pan, a generous knob of butter and a low heat - gentle sauté until golden and heated through and turn out onto paper towels to remove any excess butter.

To serve:

Place the French toast on a plate and carefully arrange the figs over the top before drizzling over with the pan juices.

If you feel like gilding the lily, a good dollop of thick cream will do nicely.